Soul Mates
by MasterFranny
Summary: /Crossover BBYGO!/ /Yaoi, Crossover Pairings/ When the BladeBreakers move to Domino for a new tournament, Kai is not aware that for him it's just a new adventure, of a different kind...
1. Prologue

**REWRITTEN COMPLETELY:** 13–06–2008

**MasterFranny:** I know. It seems strange for me to post something of this sort… and yet, here it is. First YGO fic ever.

This takes place after Marik's defeat, but branches out from there. Yami's real past has been changed accordingly, but it will make full sense when this fic and its sequel are finished.

This fic is Kai–centric, Yuugi–centric, Yuriy–centric and Ryou–centric. As well as their other souls.

Dark themes will be regarded in later chapters, together as past rape and such… you'll have time to forget this warning though.

**For the sake of this fic, Marik keeps the rod, and further information is dispatched in this prologue.**

………………………

**Rating**: T

**Disclaimer**: I do not own BeyBlade and Yu–Gi–Oh!. They belong to Aoki Takao and Kazuki Takahashi.

**Pairings:** Yuugi/Kai, Atem/Kahje, Yuriy/Ryou, Bakura/Tah'la, Marik/Seto/Malik, Seth/Karim

"Speech"

'_Thoughts'_

"Other Languages"

BitBeasts and Spirits

**Dreams, flashbacks, memories, past**

/_From Hikari to Yami_/

\\_From Yami to Hikari_\\

………………………

**Soul Mates**

**Prologue:**

The sun had came out from the dark clouds that had been hiding it until then, peeking through and caressing the faces of the Duellists that were standing on the still wet ground, their own clothes dampened by the storm that had just ended.

Behind them, the airship was standing tall and proud, glinting under the rays of light that were finally warming up everything around them; it really felt like they were coming back to life with the sun itself, after the coldness that had seeped onto them by both the storm and the Realm of Shadows they had fought into, so each one of them revelled in the renewed warmth, silent and still.

No one truly knew what to think, except for the rush of happiness and relief at the thought of having finally concluded yet another dangerous feat, and even almost unscathed by it; the one responsible for the pain and the distress was finally banished into the endless darkness of the Shadow Realm, and everything he had banished there was coming back.

Standing a bit away from the rest of his friends, who were now cheering at the victory, Yami and Yuugi were breathing deeply, the sun pleasant on their skin –both of them felt a huge weight being lifted away from them, and closed their eyes, muscles relaxing visibly.

Anzu smiled warmly as she noticed Yami Yuugi's behaviour. _'You did it again, other Yuugi'_ she thought, unable to restrain her happiness. _'No… both of you…'_

/_It feels good, mou hitori no boku,_/ Yuugi muttered, sighing deeply from his position –he was hovering at Yami's side, not in control of his own body and invisible to anyone other than his other self.

Yami nodded at his self, feeling through the link of their souls that Yuugi was regaining some of his strength already. \\_You fought well, Aibou_\\ he replied, allowing a satisfied smirk to appear on his lips.

It might have been Yami the one dealing the cards, but Yuugi had been there as well, just as it had always been, and it had been him the one to give Yami strength. The two of them were part of the same soul, divided into two by mistake, but each of them with its strength and weakness, they blended together as one every duel.

Yami's momentarily heightened power, due to the last threads of shadows around, allowed him to feel the pull of souls that were coming back from the Realm, and recognized them as Mai and Ryou –the two would surely wake up soon enough, after having restored their strength.

Yami felt his other self's attention move to the still figure some feet away from them, the person that in the end had aided them in defeating his own darker self, and knew at once what Yuugi was thinking.

/_He was purified_/ Yuugi sighed again. Their fight within the Realm had heightened his own senses, and Yami didn't even have to concentrate to see the coils of light his Hikari had spinning in the air. /_I do not understand what has happened, but in the moment he stepped out from the Shadow Realm, his soul was somewhat… different_/.

Yami shared a look with his Hikari.

Their power was growing to maintain the balance between them, because as Yami's dark power grew, Yuugi's control on the light also did –outweigh balance between the two parts of the soul would only deteriorate both souls… like with Ryou.

'_I wonder,'_ Yami thought, unwilling to share this thought with his other self _'what will be of Bakura and Ryou…'_

Allowing his body to relax even more, Yami slid down on the ground, breathing deeply. They had managed it out, after all. He could rest a bit before heading off.

Silently, both he and Yuugi stared at Ishizu as she moved towards Malik, hugging him close, and smiled inwardly as Malik hugged her back, then looked away, uncomfortable of his own intrusion on the two.

Somehow, a part of him kept looking back at his fight against Marik. There was something he could not understand about it, but even though he kept thinking about it, it still evaded him; during the fight, something had felt…

/_Despair_/ Yuugi's voice reached him. /_Marik's eyes had a lingering despair into them, something I can't understand. He should have been created by anger and hatred, so why…?_/

Yami laughed quietly, attracting Yuugi's attention. He should have expected it from his Hikari… to be able to pinpoint a slight change of Marik better than he could. His Hikari, after all, was the other part of his soul that was more emphatic.

\\_You're right, mou hitori no ore,_\\ he replied, turning serious again. \\_I do not understand, either. Something is not right… but I am fairly sure we are going to find out what soon enough…_\\

Yuugi followed his yami's eyes to Malik, who was slowly approaching him.

Malik approaching Yami alerted all of Yuugi's friends, and Honda moved forwards to stop him, but Yami stopped him with a small nod of his head; this was a different Malik, finally free from the hatred he had felt for so long.

Yami and Malik stared at each other for a second, before Malik kneeled down, prostrate in front of the pharaoh. "I thank you, Pharaoh" he quietly said, uncaring of all the eyes on him. "My soul had remained so much inside the darkness that I had lost sight of my true purpose… thanks for freeing me from my darkness".

Yuugi's smile, though unseen by everyone but Yami, was truly bright.

"Although…"

Yami frowned, feeling something was going to happen. Malik looked up from his crouched position, meeting eyes again with Yami.

"I plead your help, pharaoh, to call back my other self's soul from the Shadow Realm!"

Both Yami and Yuugi's eyes widened in shock, and the Tomb Keeper's words made more than one around them gasp. But then, Ishizu moved towards the three as well, and inclined her head as well, her eyes unwavering.

"What my little brother says has to be done, pharaoh" she said, her voice serious, and Yami frowned, not understanding.

"We banished him as it was asked of us" he commented, sharing a look with Yuugi, who was mirroring his expression. "Why would we want to call him back from the Shadows now? It would ruin what we did… he belongs there, for everything he did to Jounouchi, Mai and Ryou!" his tone betrayed a resurfacing anger for the questionable request.

"This is true, pharaoh," Ishizu conceded "but allow me to explain".

"Yuugi, you can't really be considering to do what they ask!" Anzu stepped forwards, pointing towards the airship where their friends still resided, unconscious. "Marik hurt Jounouchi, and also Mai and Ryou!"

Honda nodded, siding with her, but Seto remained silent, just tightening his grip on his brother Mokuba before stepping forwards. He denied everything he had seen happening, denying the magic, and denying the Shadows, and foremost, he did not believe the fact that Yuugi had been a pharaoh in some previous life, but the discussion was intriguing, and it still included him, in a way.

"Explain then" Yami conceded, nodding to his Hikari, who had looked at him.

"You know that I hold the Sennen Tauk, pharaoh, and that sometimes I can catch glimpses of the future with it… it is the same power I used to show you the way" Ishizu motioned her neck, where the golden necklace shone under the sun. "I had a vision regarding Marik…" she turned towards her brother, who looked away. "He will serve his own purpose. He and my brother are two sides of the same soul".

Yami's eyes widened and he turned to Yuugi, who was deep in thought, looking as surprised as his darker counterpart.

"But this cannot be" he countered. "Marik was created by the Shadows residing in Malik's heart, a complex mix of his hatred for his father, who carved the pharaoh's prophecy on his back, and against me, as I was the reason he was hurt in the first place… he had nothing to do with–"

"Pharaoh, allow me to explain this in stead of my sister" Malik stood up, his gaze meeting Yami's. "It was only when my soul had been banished to the Shadow Realm that I truly understood… and it was merely a feeling, rooted deeply inside me. I cannot not stay without my dark… but something happened to him. Something related to the Sennen Rod and how I came into contact with it".

Just remembering that, Malik shivered, still unable to forget the darkness that had then seeped into his soul.

"What does that mean? That you were fated to meet that darkness? That Marik is not a personality created by your hatred, but actually a spirit?" Yuugi blinked, remembering no one but Yami could see him, and blushed, allowing Yami to repeat his words.

"What you failed to understand, pharaoh, is that Yuugi was fated to find you not because he is your vessel, but because the part of your soul that was not called into the Puzzle was allowed to be reborn over and over, waiting for the moment the Ka and the Ba would finally meet again" Ishizu looked straight at Yuugi, who realised with a start that she was probably able to see him thanks to the Sennen item at her neck. "Ka and Ba, Hikari and Yami, cannot live without the other… each of them slowly gets corrupted, or rotten, if there is no balance between dark and light".

Yuugi turned towards Yami, who was now staring at him too.

Whilst both had called each other 'the other me', none of them had actually thought about what kind of relationship existed between them; whilst Yami had always called himself the dark, he had thought to be the one Ishizu had referred to, the 'pharaoh' of the legend, the one on the Egyptian Tablet, but now, thinking it through, it made sense that Yuugi was also part of that pharaoh.

The two of them had once been one single person, and even though in this life they wouldn't be able to become one again, they were the closest thing to that.

/_I never thought I could have been half of that pharaoh_/ Yuugi shook his head, shocked. /_I never even considered the very idea of that…_/

"My guess would be, pharaoh" Ishizu attracted their attention again "that somehow, the Sennen Rod was infused with Shadows".

Yami's hand flew to his Puzzle, and Seto's grip unconsciously tightened around Mokuba.

"But I thought the Sennen items had their control on the Shadows?" he asked, stepping forwards. "How can that be?"

"Of course, but Shadows can be directed, and their effect on the person who holds the item could then be affected" Ishizu stated.

"You mean that someone has set a trap?"

"No" Malik shook his head. "Time darkens the souls that are held in the items. I believe that my darker side, the other half of my soul, was corrupted because he lived too much time inside the Sennen Item".

Yuugi's eyes widened, and he turned towards Yami.

/_That could explain it! You had a much darker behaviour before we managed to meet, mou hitori no boku… you used the Shadows to punish, maim and send souls to the dark…_/

Yami nodded, acknowledging the truth of Yuugi's words. It was true. Only his meeting with his Hikari had changed his behaviour, almost taming the shadows and his darker side.

/_That would also mean… Bakura was never willing to speak with his Hikari, he never even thought about making a truce with him… so there was no balance between them and Bakura's soul wasn't calmed down_/ Yuugi continued, eyes widening in shock.

Yami bit his lip hard.

"I didn't possess the necessary light to help my darker side" Malik lowered his eyes again. "My soul had turned dark on its own… this only strengthened the dark and the Shadows… but you purified me, pharaoh, and I now truly am a Hikari".

Yuugi stared hard at Yami. /_Mou hitori no boku, if that is the truth, and we know Ishizu would never lie about that, then Malik's Yami should have something to do with your lost memories! And it means Malik will be able to control him_/.

\\_It is our memories, aibou_\\ Yami replied, a small smirk appearing on his face. But then he turned towards Malik and Ishizu. "Yes, I see the reasoning in this" he admitted. "But I know not how I can call a soul back from the Shadows".

"This is not a problem" a voice from behind them stated.

Yami and Yuugi turned around, and gasped in shock at the sight –Ryou was making his way towards them, slowly stepping down the stairs of the airship. He was still hurt and weak from his stay in the Shadow Realm, but there was determination clear in his eyes.

But the real surprise, at least for those that could see, was that Bakura was at his Hikari's side, and was staring straight at Yami.

"You!" Yami hissed, but felt Yuugi's hand on his arm.

/_Wait_/ his counterpart stated, smiling slightly at him. /_Something feels different_/.

Yami could not feel that difference his other self was talking about, but bit his lip and stilled, still without relaxing.

"Yes, _me_, pharaoh" Bakura sneered out the word 'pharaoh', but no one heard him except the Sennen holders.

"Ryou, are you ok?" Yuugi ran forwards in spirit form, carefully hovering around the white haired teen to check up on him. "Should you be up at all?"

"It's ok" Ryou smiled at Yuugi. "We couldn't keep out of this even if we wanted to…"

"Ever since when it's 'we'?" Yami asked, surprised.

"Ever since we were banished to the Shadow Realm" Ryou replied, wobbling towards Yami.

Anzu, knowing Ryou was still weak, finally managed to move and helped him stand. He turned towards her with gratitude.

"It is as the Tomb Keeper says" Bakura said, grudgingly. "There was nothing else to do there. I had nothing to lose by using that endless time to talk to him. Once I spoke to my Yadunoshi, part of the rage that had circled my heart managed to retreat. I could think clearer than ever before, and I could not hold onto that rage anymore. I had to confront the fact that without memories, my hatred for you had no basis".

Yami frowned. So the Tomb Robber didn't remember his past, either?

"Thief said that he was awake for millennia, waiting with his hatred, but the more time passed by, the less he could remember about it, until he lost his memories to the Shadows" Ryou continued. "He only remembered he hated you. The darkness ate him away, just like Marik".

"So that means, you have a truce now?" Yuugi asked, smiling a bit. "But what about…"

"Until I find the memories again, pharaoh, I won't attack again" Bakura growled out. "That does not mean I like you, though".

Yami fought the urge to snort and shook his head. He didn't really like the Thief spirit either.

Yuugi was still hovering near Ryou, and even though he could not touch the other, he still moved his hand to the white haired teen's shoulder. "So… everything is ok now?" he asked, so quietly none of the others even heard him.

Ryou smiled at him.

"That thing creeps me out" Anzu stated, shuddering. She had managed to follow only half of the discussion, because she could not see Yuugi, nor Bakura, but by what she got, it appeared the spirit of the Sennen Ring wouldn't be their enemy –for the moment, at least.

"What did you mean before, that there is no problem?" Yami asked, referring to Ryou's previous words.

"Because he knows how to call back something from the Shadows" Ryou pointed to his darker side. "He came back from there once already. But actually, so did I…" he meant how he had used the split part of his soul that had rested in the White Mage figurine to call back his own soul, during the first battle of skills Bakura had against Yami.

"But to call someone else back, more power will be needed" Bakura stated. "There will be need for all the present Sennen items to work together…"

It was then that something started shining in his Hikari's pocket. Ryou blinked, taking out the Sennen Eye, that was glowing eerily in his hand.

"You have Pegasus' item?!" Yami growled out, enraged.

"The Sennen Eye does not belong to you, Spirit of the Tomb Robber" Ishizu stated, moving her hand upwards. The eye hovered a second more on Ryou's hand, then started to move. "The Sennen Rod now belongs to Malik, because it is impregnated with his life signature, just as this Eye once had Pegasus', but now… it calls forth its new owner".

It was coming as a shock to everyone, as the Eye, after hovering uncertainly above everyone's heads, moved steadily towards Seto; the CEO owner shook his head, backing away from the Eye, but there was no denying the truth –the Eye belonged to him.

"Take the Eye, Seto" Ishizu ordered. Seto growled deeply in his throat, but did as he was told.

"No matter what you think" he stated, his hand tightly holding the Sennen item "I will never wear this… this thing!"

Yami snorted loudly this time, even as Seto turned murderous eyes to him, carefully ignoring to look at Yuugi's soul nearby; Yami chose to ignore it and turn again towards Bakura. "What then, Tomb Robber?"

"Four Sennen Items together, at least" he stated.

Unbeknownst to the group, as Yami, Ryou, Ishizu and Malik formed a small circle, was that hidden behind the airship, Shadi was staring at them, eyes holding hidden knowledge. "Only now, the real journey to your memory will start, Pharaoh" he quietly said, the rash winds cancelling his words.

Then, as another wave of harsh wind hit the side of the airship, Shadi disappeared.

"The Sennen items have to tune together their power, now… so come on, fellow holders… ask for Marik's soul to come back" there was still a sneering sort of tone to the Thief's voice, but it held no malice.

At once, Yami and Yuugi closed their eyes, together with Ryou, Malik and Ishizu, and Bakura after a moment did so as well.

As one, all of them asked for the same thing –"Shadows, release your grip on Malik's Yami!"

There was a flash of light, the four Sennen items glowing together so sharply that everyone around was blinded, but as they reopened their eyes, a figure was hovering in the middle of the circle.

Marik opened his lavender eyes, staring straight at Yami and Yuugi, but on his face there was none of the despair both had felt in him before. His face was relaxed, almost calm, as he spoke, his words echoing around for only selective ears to hear.

"Thank you, Pharaoh".

………………………

**Aibou:** "Partner". Yami calls Yuugi that.

**Mou hitori no boku:** "My other self". Yuugi calls Yami that.

**Sennen Items:** Millennium Items.

**Hikari:** "Light". Ryou and Yuugi are Hikari, light soul. In this fic, Malik is as well.

**Yami:** "Darkness". Yami (for his own namesake) and Bakura are Yami, meaning dark soul. In this fic, Marik is one too.


	2. A new tournament?

**REWRITTEN:** 04–07–2008

**MasterFranny:** first chapter, the BeyBlade crew appears.

………………………

**Rating**: T

**Disclaimer**: I do not own BeyBlade and Yu–Gi–Oh!. They belong to Aoki Takao and Kazuki Takahashi.

**Pairings:** Yuugi/Kai, Atem/Kahje, Yuriy/Ryou, Bakura/Tah'la, Marik/Seto/Malik, Seth/Karim

"Speech"

'_Thoughts'_

"Other Languages"

BitBeasts and Spirits

**Dreams, flashbacks, memories, past**

/_From Hikari to Yami_/

\\_From Yami to Hikari_\\

………………………

**CHANGE OF HEART**

**Chapter 01: A New Tournament?**

The corridor echoed with the neko–jin's steps as he ran through, checking every few seconds the clock on his wrist –he was terribly late, and he despised being late.

Rei cursed under his breath as he turned around the corner and stopped, breathing deeply a few times, and then politely knocking on the door, trying to calm his thumping heart enough so he would not look like he had been running… it was a pet peeve of his.

The door was opened in front of him, and Rei blinked as he realised Max was smiling at him; he had been expecting President Daitenji to be there, together with his team, of course, but as he looked above the American's head, he noticed only Takao and Kai, and in a corner, sitting with his computer on his lap, Kijouji.

"You're late, Rei" Kai murmured from his position against the wall.

Rei sighed.

"I lost the bus to here, so I had to run all the way… where is Daitenji–sama?"

Takao shrugged. "I am not sure, we've been waiting here for at least half an hour, and still he has yet to come… you're safe, so to speak" Takao flashed him a grin.

As Rei smiled back at him, the teens went back doing what they were before Rei's arrival; Takao and Max started talking about some match of bey they had, Kijouji was tapping on Dizzi, muttering something under his breath now and then, and their captain, Kai, was probably reviewing something in his mind, eyes closed, as usual.

Ever since the end of the World Tournament, that had been almost two months before, the BladeBreakers had tried to make Kai feel more at home, and the results were that now Kai was more relaxed around them, not freezing up whenever someone approached him, but still there had been no changes about his attitude, or the way he trained them.

Thankfully, it seemed he trusted them more, and that was a huge step forwards.

Rei's smile widened a bit as he sit down, wondering when Daitenji would arrive.

"Ah, boys, welcome… I am sorry, I had some business to discuss about and couldn't come earlier" Daitenji smiled at them in his usual way as he stepped into the room, closing the door behind his back and moving around the desk, sitting on his chair.

The attention of the whole team shifted on him, and even Kai opened his eyes and stood straighter, waiting for the reason they had all been called there.

"I asked you all to come here because I've been aware of something you will surely like" he started, cheerful. "There will be a private tournament of BeyBlade, strictly Japanese, in a small city not far from here –Domino City".

Rei felt a stir of interest, and his hand slipped in his pocket, where he was keeping Dranzer. A new tournament would mean new talents, and new possibly good opponents to fight…

"Domino city?" strangely enough, it had been Kai the one to speak. "The city of Games?"

Daitenji nodded, satisfied by that piece of information. "Exactly, young Kai".

"Huh? City of games?" Takao stared at Kai and back at Daitenji, confused.

"Domino has been known for a bit around as the city of games, mostly because whilst everywhere else people gets by with videogames, in there everyone plays with old games, or invents new games never heard before that gain approval around the entire world, most specifically in this case, Duel Monsters" the chairman explained, smiling at Takao.

"Heh… and what would that be?"

Kai snorted, not surprised at all by Takao's ignorance.

"It's a card game" he answered, looking at the blue haired blader. "A society of mine has been coproducing a device for that sort of game with a residing society called Kaiba corps".

Takao groaned. "Ah, card games. Not interesting! BeyBlade is so much better!"

Kai rolled his eyes, but inwardly he thought the same; although he had never actually seen a true game of Duel Monsters, but he had never been interested in anything that was not BeyBlade, so his knowledge only reached as far as to know the scheme of the cards, and nothing else.

"Well, team, are you ok with participating in this new tournament?" Daitenji called them back on the topic.

"Of course, right guys?" Takao turned towards the others, and received approval nods from them. "We'll surely win!"

Daitenji beamed and stood up again.

"Perfect! Then, please, be ready to depart tomorrow at nine for Domino city!"

………………………

"Yuugi! Hey, Yuugi! Wait up for me!"

The tri–colour haired teen turned around and smiled as his friend Jounouchi waved his arm around, running to catch up with him. Yuugi smiled at his friend's antics and waited up until Jou was close enough, then started walking again.

"How's everything Yuugi?" Jounouchi beamed down at him; since summer vacations had just started, they were completely free even in the mornings, so in the meanwhile, Yuugi helped out at his grandfather's Kame shop, and Jounouchi was searching for a small part–time summer job.

"Slow" Yuugi replied.

Weeks had passed since the end of the KC Cup, and things looked pretty calm around there; Malik and his sister Ishizu had apparently decided to hang around for a bit, probably waiting for the last part of the pharaoh's prophecy to come true, and Malik had used this time to make it up with Rishid, who had reported the most damage in the battle.

"Well, guess what?" Jounouchi's eyes were shining "I was passing next to the stadium this morning and I've seen they were cleaning it up! There might be a new card tournament coming around!"

Yuugi, who was more informed than his friend was, shook his head. "No, this morning there was a special on TV on that… there will be a small roundabout tournament of BeyBlade in Domino!"

"Huh? BeyBlade? What's that?"

Yuugi snickered. "It seems strange you don't know about it… you're so into games, I thought you'd know".

"Now I am just into Duel Monsters… I wouldn't have time or passion for anything else" was the clear reply.

Yuugi shook his head, amused by his friend's behaviour. "It's a spinning tops' game. You and your opponent launch your tops in a big dish, and the one who manages to throw the other out, or make them stop spinning is the winner" he mimicked launching the spinning tops. "Actually it's pretty famous even outside Japan, I've heard there have been tournaments all around the world".

"Mah" Jounouchi shrugged, having already lost interest. "A spinning top? Not fun at all…"

Yuugi smiled but thought the same. He had never tried the game, but his grandfather sold some in his shop as well. It didn't look as interesting as Duel Monsters, and half as fun.

\\_Not to mention, Duel Monsters is also more dangerous than anything involving spinning tops could be_\\ Yami added, snickering from his Soul Room.

/_Well, that's a given. But still, it's famous_/ Yuugi concluded.

Then something attracted his attention; the two were passing next to the Museum, where Yami had first met Ishizu, and with a start Yuugi realised that on top of the stairs there was a figure he knew quite well –Shadi, standing there and staring straight at Yuugi.

"Jou, please, wait here" he told his friend, and in a flash he was already running towards the museum, swapping with Yami as he did so, even though there was no one there anymore.

/_I saw him, mou hitori no boku! There was Shadi there!_/ he told his other self, who nodded and accepted to take over.

\\_I wonder what he was doing there_\\ Yami replied, frowning.

Looking around, Yuugi noticed there was still a small exposition of Egyptian goods; Shadi had truly being helpful to them, even though his methods were strange, and most of the time quite inappropriate, but he was on their side, if nothing else.

The first time they had met, Shadi had unlocked the door to Yami's Soul Room, creating a passage that Yuugi himself had grown accustomed to use, and the second time he had explained them Yami's identity.

Actually, the museum held many memories of both of them.

Part of their past, Yuugi knew, was still unknown to them, and another part was forever carved on a private tablet Ishizu had showed them.

\\_Aibou, let's look to the Egyptian rooms where our tablet was_\\ Yami said, running downwards.

Yuugi couldn't but giggle a bit, still not used to listen his other self speak about his past in plural form. Even though Ishizu had been sure of what she said, Yuugi still could not believe it. Yes, Yami inhabited his body, and was his darker side, but he had never thought it possible that they could have been the same person, millennia before.

If this was true, though, Yuugi's secret desire would be realised.

Ever since they had met, Yuugi had felt safer, slowly growing stronger, able to take care of himself, but Yami had been his first true friend. He had given him the strength to gain and keep his other friends.

And if they truly were two parts of the same soul, as Ishizu had said, then they could not be separated, or both their souls would disappear.

Yuugi had known that this desire of his was truly egoistical, that was also why he had never imposed on his other self, only helping him; that self of his, was stronger than him. He had felt as an entirely different person, not like him, something Yuugi hoped to become.

If Yami longed for his past, Yuugi vowed to help him, even if in the end they would have to get separated.

But now…

Yuugi shook his head as they entered the show room, where the tablet of stone with the fight between Seth and the Pharaoh was, and both he and Yami noticed there were new showcases around, filled with different things.

Next to one of the showcase was Shadi, standing there in silence; different from the other times they had met him, he wasn't holding the Sennen Scale, but at his neck there was still the Ahnk, glowing eerily in the semi–darkness of the room.

"Pharaoh" Shadi said, his tone low and barely enough for Yami and Yuugi to hear him. "Welcome".

Yuugi left his soul room and hovered at yami's side, both staring at the Egyptian. "Why are you here? What is that is going to happen?"

Shadi did not speak, but simply motioned for the two to move towards him, staring down at the showcase; Yami and Yuugi exchanged a look but did move forwards, eyes falling on the showcase as well.

There was almost nothing to see –just many jewels that clearly looked worn and faded from time's work, some earrings and rings, and then, some necklaces.

"What…"

Suddenly, as if woken up by the nearby objects, the Sennen Puzzle Yami had around his neck started vibrating slowly, the Eye of Ra glowing faintly. Yuugi gasped out as two of the nearby necklaces started to glow too, vibrating in resonance with the Puzzle even from behind the glass.

Yami and Yuugi moved closer, and were shocked to see two small reproductions of the Eye of Horus on a triangle of gold; it was exactly like the Puzzle and the Ring, and there were even two of them!

"What is the meaning of this?!" Yami backed away from the showcase, gritting his teeth in confusion and anger. "There were supposed to be only seven Sennen Items! Shadi!"

Yuugi stared hard at the two necklaces, feeling something stir deep inside him; something like a nostalgic wave washed over him, tightening his heart in a grip.

"What…" he blinked, staring unsurely at Shadi.

"These Pendants have been buried through the millennia, far from the other seven objects, because they were the first Sennen items ever created, and thus their own power differs from the other seven" Shadi's voice was cool and emotionless. "Considered weaker because no one had been able to understand their single powers, the Pendants were buried deep in the sand, until a group of Desert Thieves found them and took them further away".

"Are they connected with our memories then?" Yami stared back at the Pendants, unsure about what to think.

"You will know when the time comes, and the owners of the Pendants come" something akin to an enigmatic smile flashed on Shadi's lips before it was gone as fast as it came.

Yami and Yuugi looked down at the two objects again, not liking Shadi's words.

/_What if the owners of the two Pendants are the new threat we have to face?_/ Yuugi bit his lip, still unsettled at the strange nostalgia he had felt towards the two objects.

\\_There is nothing we can do, Aibou_\\ Yami answered, knowing nothing of his other self's thoughts.

Both looked up at Shadi again, but to their dismay, the man had vanished into thin air, leaving their wonders unsolved.

"Let's go, mou hitori no boku" Yuugi didn't want to stay near the Pendants anymore. He had to think now. "Jounouchi is waiting for us outside!"

Yami nodded, perplexed.

\\_Yes. There is nothing we can do other than wait, and even though I don't like waiting, that is the only thing we can do… let's relax for now, I am sure everything will start moving again soon enough. Maybe even too soon…_\\

Shadi stared at the two souls as they left, the darkness sweeping around him leaving his undisturbed. The past's prophecy was finally running to meet its end, and the pharaoh's memory was going to be finally restored.

But at the same time… a great threat was approaching as well, and Shadi could only hope they would be able to stand against it, in the end.

Everything was going to end.

Far too soon.


	3. Unexpected Meeting

**MasterFranny:** … do not hold this against me. Please, don't. I know it's been years since you've seen me around, but the fandom has quite died on me. But there again, all my current fandoms died on me.

I am actually taking back my BeyBlade fics and looking through what I've written already, so it's probable one of them will get some fresh work…

As for this one, please, GO BACK READ THE PREVIOUS TWO CHAPTERS. As I have rewritten them completely.

Also, this creation's plot idea is the same as before, meaning it might be a bit old and not in par with the YGO facts, but bear with me, and I hope you will like.

………………………

**Rating**: T

**Disclaimer**: I do not own BeyBlade and Yu–Gi–Oh!. They belong to Aoki Takao and Kazuki Takahashi.

**Pairings:** Yuugi/Kai, Atem/Kahje, Yuriy/Ryou, Bakura/Tah'la, Marik/Seto/Malik, Seth/Karim

"Speech"

'_Thoughts'_

"Other Languages"

BitBeasts and Spirits

**Dreams, flashbacks, memories, past**

/_From Hikari to Yami_/

\\_From Yami to Hikari_\\

………………………

**Soul Mates**

**Chapter 02: Unexpected Meeting**

Easily bored, the BladeBreakers had been quite unsettled by the long train ride, since it took them five hours to reach Domino, and Kai wanted nothing more than retire in his bedroom and rest a bit –five hours of Takao's uninterrupted speech grated on his nerves far too much.

They had to change train twice, waiting a hour in each station for the coincidence, and it was middle afternoon when they finally got to Domino, and another fifteen minutes to reach the hotel Daitenji had reserved rooms into.

"It's just… a normal town, isn't it" Takao and Max were looking around ever since they stepped out from the train, noticing how Domino had nothing new compared to all the other cities they had visited. At least, when they had travelled around the world, some things had varied, turning into an attractive of sorts for the two teens.

"Yeah, it's strange to think this is so famous around" Kijouji scratched the back of his head, wondering if BeyBlade around there was practiced just as much as in their own city. "Maybe something will happen that will have us rethink, but as for now, I stand by Takao's words…"

Rei smiled, stretching. It was true, Domino didn't look this cool, but there was the tournament, and that was the only important thing.

"Well boys, here, get your keys… I suggest you to spend the afternoon resting or looking around, and leave the training for tomorrow onwards" Daitenji handed Kai and Takao two keys. The teens would share as they were used to –Kai and Rei in one room, and the other three in the second one. "As for tomorrow's training, there is a nearby BeyBlade facility you can use".

Kai nodded, already planning the future training in his head; he would have to plan it out with Kijouji, but the basis were already forming in his mind.

With a last nod towards Daitenji, and a pointed look at Rei, Kai retired in the room. Rei smiled at his captain's antics, knowing he would come out soon enough to check on them. Although the neko–jin was responsible enough, not even he could keep both Takao and Max tamed for long.

As he had predicted, less than a hour later the door opened to the common room and Kai resurfaced.

Takao, Max and Kijouji were checking the participating teams through Kijouji's internet connection, curious about their skills, and Rei was sitting some feet to the left, content in listening his two teammates babble about the opponents.

"Guys, look!" something in Kijouji's tome attracted Rei's attention, and the Chinese teen stood up, joining the others on the floor.

Kai, who had reached the fridge of the room for a bottle of water, turned around only when he heard the hisses and the gasps of shock of his teammates, and only then did he move near as well.

"The… Demolition Boys are competing?!" Takao's eyes flashed with anger, and he gritted his teeth, the memories of the World Tournament far too clear in his mind to forget the pain the Russian team had caused them.

"What are they doing here?" Max's voice trembled, and even Rei was pale, his own battle against Boris still in his mind.

"Kai, what do you think? Why are they here? Is Vorkoff…" Takao turned around, expecting Kai to look at least surprised, but his voice died out as he noticed Kai's unconcerned and unsurprised face. "Kai?"

Kai shrugged. "They had mentioned something in their last letter, yes" he casually replied.

It took Takao a moment to understand the implications of Kai's words, but once he did, his face turned even paler than before.

"You still keep in contact with them?! After everything they did to you… to us?!"

He abruptly stood up, glaring at his captain. He could not believe that Kai was still talking to the ones that had tried to take over the world with BeyBlade, especially since Kai had been part of the plan for half the time!

The other BladeBreakers were equally shocked, staring unbelievingly at Kai; the slate haired teen stiffened, knowing he should have approached the matter in a different way. He had still kept contact with the Demolition Boys because after his memories had fully returned, he had remembered everything, and had found his connection to them once more.

They had been… not exactly friends, but they had been close, especially him and Yuriy, and a part of him still wanted that connection to exist. That was why he had exchanged mails with Yuriy, who had surprisingly enough accepted.

The Demolition Boys had never known another life, not until Vorkoff had been sent to jail, so it wasn't surprising they had acted the way they had. But the BladeBreakers could not know this.

In his own way, Kai had believed that if the two teams were to face each other in a neutral field, like another tournament, they could finally work out things between them. Kai considered the BladeBreakers a bit closer than when they first met, he could come to trust them, even though he would never admit that aloud.

They had given him another chance, and he wanted to offer the same to the Demolition Boys.

"Kai, explain yourself! How could you! After everything we went through…"

"I didn't know I had to report to you whomever I decide to speak to" Kai spat out, his voice cold and emotionless.

Takao stared at him in the eyes. "If that 'whomever' is someone who tried not just to kill us, but also to dominate the world, I'd say we have the rights to know! They are our enemies!"

Kai's eyes flared.

"They are not _my_ enemies" he rebuffed. "And don't you dare think you know anything about me".

Takao was completely enraged. He often said things he didn't really think, and actually, most of the time whatever came out of his mouth wasn't thought out at all. That was why, after a moment of tense silence, he spat out something he would have never ever said, had he been calmer, or had he thought it twice.

"I always knew you'd betray us again, but I would have never thought you would do it twice with the Demolition Boys!"

Kai felt like Takao had just slapped him hard; that was the truth then… Takao and the others had never truly believed in him. They had never trusted him either… he was and would always be a traitor.

He had thought…

'_I thought they had forgiven my acts…'_ he thought bitterly. Realising he had been wrong… hurt him more than anything else had before.

Takao shut his mouth the exact moment the words were out, his own brain wanting to slap him for them. He hadn't really thought anything of that, he didn't mean to…

Hadn't meant to…

He trusted Kai, he had always did. But…

"Kai… I…"

But it was too late to say anything –Kai twisted around, not wanting to show them the hurt in his eyes, and ran out of the room's door, slamming it behind his back.

………………………

Yuugi sighed, rolling around in his bed again, unable to fall asleep.

In his mind there was still the clear image of the two Pendants, glowing and vibrating in echo with his Puzzle.

Also, the feeling that had washed all over him had felt overwhelming, and it looked like Yami had not felt it as he had; nostalgia, deep, rooted nostalgia, and something else, something even more buried, deep within him, pain, and something entirely different at the same time.

What had been that feeling? And why just him?

'_Yes, that strengthens the hypothesis that mou hitori no boku and I are two parts of the same soul, but it's so hard to accept… I am so different than him… and yet, maybe there is a part of the powers that can only be felt or used by the light side…? I don't understand…'_

The more he thought about it the less it made sense.

\\_Aibou? You can't sleep?_\\ Yami appeared at his side, incorporeal but still very much visible, and stared at him in concern. \\_What is the problem?_\\

/_Nothing, really_/ Yuugi wasn't sure he wanted to share everything with his other self yet. It was too confusing. /_It's just that… I can't but think about the Sennen Pendants… I don't like to wait until things slam against me. I've had that far too many times to be comfortable with it!_/

Yami laughed softly. \\_In that, Aibou, we are very similar. But I think we have nothing else to rely on other than be patient_\\.

Yuugi pouted, curling into his bed.

\\_Do you want us to go back to the museum, Aibou?_\\ Yami stretched even though he had no body. \\_We'll keep away from the Pendants, but maybe looking at the tablets might help us calm down_\\.

Somehow, Yami had felt the sight of the Pendants had hit Yuugi more than it appeared, and he didn't want to press the matter too much, waiting for his other self to spill it to him when he was ready, but at the same time, he was offering him a way out.

Yuugi thought it out for a moment. They would have to use the power of their Puzzle to get into the Museum, something he didn't like, but he really wanted to sort out his feelings… maybe, just maybe, he would be able to stop the nostalgia if he observed the Pendants with rational mind…

/_Ok!_/ he said, jumping down the bed and starting to dress again. /_Let's go!_/

………………………

Kai stared at his BeyBlade as Dranzer spun in front of him, the only noise the slight whirring sound of the attack ring moving against the stones under his feet; the mere sound of the spinning BeyBlade had often helped Kai calm down, relaxing his muscles and allowing him to think clearer, and this time was no exception.

Most of his thoughts centred on what had happened in the hotel room, even though part of him knew he shouldn't have been this angry at all –he could understand maybe too well Takao's actions and his words, since he had not given the BladeBreakers any indication he could be trustworthy.

They had tried to trust him completely, but they had failed miserably, because he had never given them anything to grasp onto.

But even as he thought that, he couldn't but feel hurt about that. A part of him had kept hoping, possibly, that they could be friends.

The slate haired blader scoffed at the night; his reaction was also maybe a bit too exaggerated, but he didn't feel like saying he was wrong either. He needed to vent off for a bit, and calm down. No point in going back to the hotel yet.

Daitenji's words came back to him as he remembered there should have been a training faculty somewhere nearby, and he decided that if he should be stuck away from the hotel room, he might as well pull an all–night and go train.

Satisfied with this prospective, he allowed his shoulders to relax.

Calling his BeyBlade back into his hand with a silent movement, Kai launched it back down again, and started walking further away from the hotel, his bey following him, jumping up and down from the sidewalk and rounding over the obstacles.

The darkness was covering him like a blanket, but he had long since learned not to feel fear –that fact had been engraved into his spirit ever since his childhood. Besides, nothing could be scarier than a punishment for showing petty fears.

He was so deep into his thoughts, lulled by the sound of his bey spinning, that he didn't even hear someone coming his way from behind the corner ahead.

Inevitably, they collided.

Kai was thrown backwards and fell down on the floor, hissing in shock, and a second later he was showered with cards, as the other figure fell down as well; it took Kai a moment to realise what had happened.

"Ah! Gomenasai! I wasn't looking and… oh, I'm so sorry! Are you ok?" the boy (because it was a boy, if only a bit short) stood up in a flash and held out his hand towards Kai.

The blader ignored the offered hand and stood up as well, grunting. "No, it was my fault, too" he replied, looking around him. "I wasn't looking either".

The boy had by then kneeled down and was gathering together the cards that had fell everywhere; Kai's sharp eyes noticed that the boy was handling them with massive care, not at all dissimilar to his own way to handle Dranzer.

He stared at the boy for a second more, taking in his strange appearance, the tri–coloured hair, and the fact that he was dressed with what appeared to be like… leather and spikes…? At the light of the nearby lamppost, the other boy looked strangely eerie.

Following a momentarily impulse, Kai kneeled down and started helping the kid. As he got together the remaining cards, Kai folded them in his hands, and watched the first on top with curious eyes.

He had not been wrong, those were actually Duel Monsters cards.

His red eyes stared at the yellow–background card, taking in the small picture on the top half of it, a human figure dressed in ample purple–blue robes, holding a green staff of some kind. Above the picture there were seven little stars, and then the card's name –Dark Magician.

Kai frowned, unable to place the sudden feeling that had washed over him. He couldn't recognize it, but it was gone as fast as it came, leaving him confused.

Without speaking, he held out the cards for the other boy to take. The tri–colour haired boy smiled in gratitude. "Thanks… and sorry again, I truly didn't see you there".

Yuugi pulled his deck together, his eyes scanning all the cards to check if any of them had been bruised, but thankfully they were all ok; so, he looked up smiling and took a moment to examine the person he had before him.

It was taller than him (but there again, almost everyone was taller than him nowadays), with two–toned hair, darker blue on the back, and lighter on the front, and had two strangely shaped triangles on both cheeks.

What a weird person… and yet, something in that teen unsettled Yuugi. It had nothing to do with evilness, because Yuugi couldn't sense any coming from him… but still, something was unclear.

He and Yami had been returning from the Museum, and despite Yami protesting, Yuugi had relinquished control of the body and forced his yami to stay in his own soul room, where the pharaoh was probably musing over the recent happenings.

And there he was, having met with this strange person… he wondered why he was out this late.

"No, I just said it was also my fault," Kai shook his head, shrugging.

Yuugi moved forwards, holding out his hand for the other to shake, when–

KRACK!

There was a loud noise, and both Kai and Yuugi looked down, horrified when they noticed Kai's BeyBlade there, the attack ring cleanly broken in two.

Kai had known since his last training that the attack ring he was using was old and worn out due to its constant use, but he hadn't planned to fight with his teammates and wander around alone at night, so he didn't even think about taking with him the spare parts.

Besides, seeing his BeyBlade broken on the ground was still a shock, no matter what.

"Dranzer–" he hissed, crouching to gather the broken bey in his hands.

Yuugi turned scarlet for the shame, panicking as he kneeled next to the other boy, whom he now recognized as a blader.

"Oh my God, I am so sorry!" he stared at Kai's face then at his poor BeyBlade, not knowing what to do. Then, suddenly he was struck by inspiration. "Ah, listen! Come with me, my grandfather can repair it! I swear!"

Something passed through Kai's eyes and Yuugi felt even worse –something was telling him that this teen valued his BeyBlade just as much as he and Yami valued their cards. He was sure he'd be broken as well, if someone were to rip his cards…

Actually, he just knew how that felt –his Exodia cards had been thrown into the sea once…

Determined in attracting the slate haired teen's attention, Yuugi grabbed one of the other's hands, staring deeply in the ruby eyes as Kai's head turned his way.

"I swear! I will do anything to repair your BeyBlade… come with me, I'll have gramps do it so fast you won't complain, Duellist's word!"

Kai blinked at the strange boy's behaviour towards him. Anyone else, in the same situation, would have been at least mildly afraid –Kai surely didn't pass as an innocent bystander, by his appearance alone– but this guy wasn't just trying to… comfort him, he was actually true about it…

"Listen…" Kai spoke but stopped, not knowing the other's name.

"Yuugi" the boy provided.

"Listen, Yuugi," Kai repeated. "It's no big stuff. The attack ring was already worn out, I should have repaired it sooner. You don't have to try so hard–"

"No!" Yuugi interrupted the other's speech, his grip on Kai's hand tightening without him realising it. "It doesn't take a genius to see you care for your bey! And I broke it, so the least I can do is make sure it's repaired, no matter what".

Kai rolled inwardly his eyes. He could have gone back to the hotel and have Kijouji repair it in five minutes, but he had no intentions of going back yet. The hurt was still present, if only dulled out by the surprise of the encounter.

"Err… Yuugi, it's past midnight" Kai tried to reason with the boy. "Surely you wouldn't want to… wake up your grandfather just so he can repair my BeyBlade…"

Yuugi flushed dark again. He had completely forgot the time.

"Well then" he stated, eyes taking on a determined hue "I am sure that if I let you go now, you will never accept to come back tomorrow" Kai fought the urge to shake his head in amusement, knowing the boy was right. "So, how about you come with me? I will unroll another futon and you can sleep in my room, and first thing tomorrow morning, I get gramps to look at your bey. Is that alright with you?"

Kai was taken aback by the proposal. He was actually asking Kai to sleepover?

Looking into Yuugi's eyes, Kai had the feeling he was truly sorry about the incident, and that he was also truthful with his desire to help. Normally, Kai would have still refused, but with the current problems he was facing with the rest of the BladeBreakers, something in him pressed him into accepting.

He must have been out of his mind, his reasoning supplied him.

"Ok, it's settled then!" Yuugi must have seen some kind of resign in Kai's eyes, because without waiting for a proper answer, grabbed Kai's wrist and smiled brightly, motioning for the taller teen to follow.

"Ah, right, I didn't tell you my name!" Yuugi's smile twitched higher. "I'm Mutou Yuugi, pleased to meet you!"

Kai frowned, the name was quite familiar. Then, he froze, remembering where he had heard it before. "You're the Duel Monsters' champion!"

Yuugi nodded, laughing hesitantly and blushing a bit, uncomfortable with the notion of his fame. "Yeah, that would be me".

Kai blinked. He hadn't expected the winner to be this guy, especially since he looked younger than he was. The champion was just his age, sixteen, and yet Yuugi didn't look older than twelve…

"Then you must be here to compete in the BeyBlade tournament, right?"

Kai nodded. "My name is Hiwatari Kai" he stated, staring down at the other teen.

"Ooh, but I know who you are!" Yuugi widened his eyes in surprise. He wasn't that great with the spinning tops, but he had read about the tournaments, and he definitely remembered the name of the champion team. "You're in the BladeBreakers' team! You're the captain!"

"I didn't expect anyone to know about BeyBlade here, I was told this city specialises in Duel Monsters" Kai admitted, a bit surprised.

"My grandfather owns a game shop, we also sell hobby and similar, so we have BeyBlade too… that's why I assured I can repair your bey!"

Yuugi was beaming, and somehow his joyous attitude made Kai relax a bit further. Actually, that attitude could have reminded him of Takao, but right then any comparison between the two was the farthest thing in Kai's mind. They were completely different, and whilst staying around Takao always bugged the hell out of him, Yuugi did the opposite.

For some minutes the two kept walking in silence, but after a while Yuugi couldn't restrain his curiosity anymore, so he turned around.

"Kai, what were you doing around at this time of the night?"

The moment the words were out of his mouth, he bit back a groan. How stupid. He had been wandering around as well, and it wasn't polite to ask such questions, especially given the fact that they had just met.

"I could ask you the same question" Kai wasn't really paying attention, deep in thought as Yuugi's words had brought in a wave of fresh pain and confusion related to the actual reason he was momentarily homeless. "I had a fight with my teammates" he added after a moment, almost unconsciously.

Yuugi blinked, confused.

He had read that the BladeBreakers' captain was cold, uncaring and mean, but now that he had met him, he could see the gossips had it completely wrong; Kai had acted politely all the time, and whilst he did feel a bit aloof, he didn't seem cold or mean at all.

'_But that's how it always is, when it comes to gossips and fame… never believe until you've seen it personally'_ he thought, one of the early lessons of his grandfather.

Kai felt partly compelled to keep the conversation ongoing –probably because this guy had offered him a place to sleep– cleared his throat. "And what are _you_ doing here at this time of the night?"

Yuugi bit his lip, but he knew that he had to reply. Kai had been sincere (his eyes had sparkled with some sort of hurt when he had spoke about the fight) so he had to be as well. "I went to the Museum… I had to make sure of something I couldn't stop thinking since this morning".

Kai lifted his eyebrows but didn't reply; this wasn't his own business, and since Yuugi hadn't butted in about the fight, he wouldn't butt in about this. Even though the museum at this time should have been shut close.

"This is my house!" Yuugi pointed to a small building, a shop with the sign 'Kame Shop' above the entrance. "My mother is not home right now, but grandfather is. We'll ask him tomorrow, ok?"

The two moved quietly, with Kai looking around at the house with the lightest curiosity, and Yuugi rolled down a spare futon between his own bed and the desk.

After having thanked him for his hospitality, Kai shifted inside the futon, clutching his broken bey next to his heart. The deep breathing of Yuugi in the bed next to him was almost soothing, and before he knew it, Kai had also slipped in a deep sleep, the last conscious thought about how he had never ever slept at someone else's home before.


	4. Inquisition

**MasterFranny:** there is a new chapter for my readers :) I hope you will enjoy this one! There might be some OOC? I am not sure, but it's a given since the kind of plot and pairings I am working with.

………………………

**Rating**: T

**Disclaimer**: I do not own BeyBlade and Yu–Gi–Oh!. They belong to Aoki Takao and Kazuki Takahashi.

**Pairings:** Yuugi/Kai, Atem/Kahje, Yuriy/Ryou, Bakura/Tah'la, Marik/Seto/Malik, Seth/Karim

"Speech"

'_Thoughts'_

"Other Languages"

BitBeasts and Spirits

**Dreams, flashbacks, memories, past**

/_From Hikari to Yami_/

\\_From Yami to Hikari_\\

………………………

**Soul Mates**

**Chapter 03: Inquisition**

The moment Kai woke up, blinking tiredly as the morning's light hit his eyes, he fumbled around the futon, not recognizing where he was; unsure as to what to think, Kai sat up, taking in the sunlit room around him, his eyes finally moving to the sleeping figure on the bed next to him.

As he saw Yuugi on the bed, sleeping with his back turned on him, Kai relaxed, remembering what had happened the previous night.

Calmer than he was back then, Kai allowed everything to replay in his mind; Takao's accuses still hurt, and he still wasn't sure about going back, and he realised just how bad the situation had been for him to actually accept the hospitality of a complete stranger, no matter if famous.

'_Dranzer?'_

He reached out with his mind, passing through the link he knew was there, receiving a sudden feeling of warmth from the other end; the BitChip of his BeyBlade glowed a moment in his hands.

Master was the ready reply.

'_I am sorry for what happened to the bey'_ Kai thought out, grieving for the broken attack ring. _'Everything happened too fast, Dranzer…'_

The phoenix could distinctly feel her master's hurt. I am sure Dragoon's master did not mean what he said she thrilled, mentally reaching out with her warmth. And as for the kind boy who offered his help, please don't re–think of it. He was sincere in his worry.

Something in Kai relaxed at Dranzer's words –she could assess a person's orientation by reaching out to them, and it appeared she trusted Yuugi enough to say that to him.

Unwilling to dwell more on the strange happenings, Kai nodded to himself.

There was a small alarm clock next to Yuugi's bed, and Kai noticed it was almost six in the morning. He had slept enough for the day, and he had no intentions on staying anymore in there.

Sitting up quietly, not wanting to wake the sleeping teen up, Kai exited the room and searched for the bathroom. Looking at himself in the mirror, splashing water on his face, Kai steeled his expression and hid his confusion.

That was it… he had to keep calm. It was nothing new, nothing he couldn't win.

"And who are you, boy?!"

Kai turned around in a flash, closing the door of the bathroom at his back, a quick unconscious move to prevent anyone from sneaking behind him, and found himself face to face with an old–looking man who vaguely resembled Yuugi –especially in the spiky hair, even though this man's colour was grey.

'_This… this must be Yuugi's grandfather'_ Kai's mind supplied.

Quickly, partially relaxing when he saw there was nothing to be wary of, Kai bowed deeply at the older man. "I am Hiwatari Kai, it's a pleasure to meet you, Mutou–san" he stated clearly. Then, he proceeded to explain why he was in his house.

The man's face melted into a pleasant smile, and the short man bowed a bit as well. "Then, it's a pleasure to meet you too, Kai. My name is Mutou Sugoroku, and it's always a pleasure when Yuugi gets new friends".

Kai stiffened but didn't want to contradict the man, so he simply didn't speak.

"Seems you're quite the early bird, Kai" Sugoroku turned around, motioning for the slate haired blader to follow him "is that common for you? Come, we'll have breakfast then".

Refusing the offer of milk and cookies (Yuugi's normal breakfast, apparently), Kai accepted a cup of hot coffee, comforted by the warmth it offered in his hands, and sipped it slowly, cherishing the flavour.

All the while, Sugoroku stared at him, noticing how his quiet behaviour was so much like an adult's, or better than, like that Kaiba boy. Shaking his head, he asked for the teen's bey, taking it carefully in his hands to evaluate the damage done.

"Those are quite the good parts" he had to admit, after a moment. "But I have even better ones at my shop, so I can just repair it whilst I stay there, if you're willing to let me keep it for a while".

Not having any intention to go back to the hotel anytime soon, Kai had no need to hurry, so he simply nodded, taking the chip of his BitBeast from the bey and placing it in his pocket.

At that time, the kitchen's room opened and a sleepy Yuugi made his way towards the table, greeting both of them with a smile as he sat down, pouring himself some milk. "'Morning…"

Kai blinked as he noticed that Yuugi was wearing some kind of strange pendant at his neck, quite big, shaped as an upside–down pyramid of what looked like gold; it had something Kai recalled was the 'Eye of Horus' in the middle, and as far as his knowledge of the ancient Egypt went, it was a symbol of the pharaoh.

He couldn't recall if Yuugi had the same Puzzle the previous night, but by how he was behaving (as if it was normal to wear that thing even on his pyjamas) he decided it was probable he had.

"Ah, do you like it?" Yuugi's smile shook Kai out of his thoughts. "It's a gift from grandpa! It's a puzzle, it took me eight years to complete it".

Kai blinked, suddenly feeling out of place, and turned his attention back to his coffee cup.

"I had planned to go meet my friends this morning" Yuugi continued, sipping his milk and grabbing the nearest cookie. "Since grandpa is going to be working on your bey, why don't you come with me?"

"No," Kai replied, determinedly. "Don't bother, I will stay here, or eventually have a walk around, and–"

"Nonsense!" Yuugi smiled even more. "I want you to meet my friends too!"

"No, I truly prefer to–"

"Really, why would you want to walk around alone when we can have fun together! And I assure you, you'll love Jounouchi and the others!"

Kai had no chance to retaliate –Yuugi had stood up again, vanishing back upstairs and coming down minutes later, completely dressed in his leather outfit, and the Puzzle still around his neck.

Kai also had no time to further deny Yuugi's request, and when he realised it, the two were already walking through the streets.

'_How the hell–'_

………………………

"So, tell me, how are BeyBlade tournaments?"

Kai growled inwardly, but the moment he looked up at Yuugi, his anger vanished, and he sighed in defeat; there was something peculiar in Yuugi's attitude that managed to surprise him and destroy all the resistance he was putting up.

Damn it.

"Fun" he replied, shaking his head. Even though 'fun' wasn't the first adjective he came up regarding BeyBlade, it was the thing he knew would be best to say. "Only the best can make proper fights, able to hold any interest".

Yuugi nodded, "it's the same with Duel Monsters, you know" he smiled again. "Once you get into the game, you realise that it's not always about winning, but mostly about how you prepare for the fight, the moment before a duel begins, the excitement as you play…"

Kai had to admit, Yuugi's passionate words reflected the passion he had felt for BeyBlade… before it became everything he could think of. Before Vorkoff.

"Yes" he admitted, his tone betraying something that Yuugi couldn't quite get. "But in the end, it's always about your own strength. And that no one can truly help you, and you're alone".

Yuugi blinked, stopping and turning around to look at the slate haired blader, who hadn't realised he had said it all aloud.

"That's not true!" the tri–colour haired teen shook his head, a flash of anger in his violet eyes. "Without your friends cheering for you, without their constant belief in you, in your abilities, you can't truly express your full potential".

Kai' eye turned a darker shade of red, as cold as steel.

"it never worked that way. It is a one–on–one battle of skill and strength –friendship means nothing".

Yuugi gasped out in outrage, he couldn't believe Kai would think that way.

"But surely you can't truly believe that!" he grabbed Kai's hand, looking up at the slate haired teen with shocked eyes. "You're part of a team! That means something, doesn't it? Your teammates are your own strength! They are your _friends_!"

Kai slapped away Yuugi's hands, grimacing at the teen's words.

\\_Aibou? What is happening?_\\ Yami's consciousness surfaced from the Puzzle, as he tuned in with Yuugi's thoughts, checking out what the problem was, only to gasp in the same shocked outrage that Yuugi himself was feeling.

"Friendship is useless. Friends end up betraying you" Kai's tone was bitter, cold, almost uncaring, but Yuugi could easily see behind it. Something more, something darker. "A weakness, not a strength!"

"But that is not true! Without my friends, I would have given up on hope so much time ago… and yet, with them at my side, I've been able to defeat enemies that alone, I would have not!" Yuugi replied, believing entirely in his own words.

Kai didn't know why he was even answering, why he was bothering to, but part of him was taking solace in finally admitting it aloud. He had betrayed the BladeBreakers, and they in turn had betrayed him, making him realise his feeble trust, the hopeful thread he had hesitantly offered them, had been in vain.

He had deserved it.

"I've betrayed my team once, siding with the enemy" Kai's eyes bore into Yuugi's ones, burning with so many emotions, so many… "and they… they said they had forgiven me. They acted as if it was all ok… so I deluded myself, assuring me I could trust them, I could make a step towards them, that maybe, just maybe, they were different from everyone else!"

His voice was growing higher with ever sentence, making Yuugi pale as he listened to him, his expression one of anger, resentment, and deep pain.

"And I was wrong! I was proven wrong, and I left! You did want to know why I was wandering alone, right, King of Duel Monsters? Well, I had just heard my so called 'friends' admit they never trusted me at all! That they expected me to betray them at any given time! Does that make you happy?"

Yuugi paled, unable to believe in Kai's words. No one could… surely they had not…

"I should have known better" Kai's tone was subdued now, as the red eyes glazed over. "I was taught not to trust. I was taught friendship was a weakness. I was taught not to lower my defences, and I failed. And I hurt…" his gaze focused again on Yuugi. "I never wanted friends. I don't need something I've never had. I can't feel the loss".

Only then, did Kai actually realise that Yuugi was crying.

All his rage disappeared, and wave after wave of confusion, shock and guilt washed over him, leaving him without energy. Yuugi's eyes were filled with tears, and he was staring straight at him, unashamed of them.

\\_Aibou…_\\

/_I don't know anything about him…_/ Yuugi sniffled inwardly, unable to stop the tears. /_And I've only grazed the top of an iceberg that might be too big… but… I can't allow that! No one should have to go through all of this! No one!_/

Yami thought the same. Kai's words had hurt him as well, the completely serious expression the other teen wore, his certainty… as if he had never had to confute his beliefs.

"You're… crying?!" Kai backed away from Yuugi, but the Hikari only stepped forwards, determined, even in his crying.

"I want to be your friend" he stated.

Why was he crying? Kai couldn't understand. Was Yuugi crying for him?

"I want you to trust me, Kai! We might not have know each other for a long time, and we might be different, but I've never refused what my heart asks me… I've always been sincere and passionate about my desires… and now I want us to be friends! I want you to understand there can be still hope!" _'I don't know everything that happened to you, but maybe that's what you need… your teammates were too partial, too deep into it all to understand your needs… they couldn't see what I can… what you never allowed anyone other to see'._

Yami knew what Yuugi was thinking, and he knew that this perceptive side was part of being a Hikari, something that allowed Yuugi to understand others, to share their pain, and bring them happiness.

Kai couldn't but stand still, paralyzed by Yuugi's warm words. Even though Takao, Rei and Max had always tried to talk to Kai, they had never tried to understand him. Their offers of peace had never came truly as what could have been between them.

They had never understood him… but none of them had really wanted to.

They had called him friend, but Kai had refused to accept, because they hadn't understood what it took to get to him. Not even Takao.

Yuugi…

He was something else. A presence too warm, too nice, something Kai could not evade, someone he didn't know how to counter, someone he couldn't hide from, because it felt like the other was reading in his mind.

Yuugi didn't know anything, he was not partial for either side, and he probably wouldn't even want to be it.

What Takao and the BladeBreakers saw first was Kai the blader, the Kai that had a bad childhood, the Kai that had been lured to the dark side… the Kai that had betrayed them. They had offered their friendship to that Kai, without trying to understand if he would trust them. Taking it for granted, and in doing so, they had wronged Kai.

Because the moment Kai didn't do what they expected him to, they had reacted badly of it.

Yuugi just saw Kai.

Just Kai.

"Even if we might not stay together much more, allow me" Yuugi offered Kai his hand, his face serious, eyes sparkling. "Allow me to convince you that I am sincere. Let's… let's just be… friends".

Kai stared at the offered hand for what felt like years. Time could have stopped for all he cared, but the hand did not waver. It wasn't pulled back. It was still, waiting for some kind of reaction.

Kai should have pulled away.

He should have denied that to himself and Yuugi, because that was like all the other times.

Because it didn't matter.

'_He can't really believe I'd accept…'_

Slowly, Kai's hand moved on its own accord, closing around Yuugi's.

'…_I'd accept his friendship'._

………………………

Takao glared at the food in his plate with all his might, not even half as hungry as he should be; Max sighed, quietly patting him on the back with a knowing expression.

The teens had been of a foul mood all night, as they had expected Kai to actually return at some point.

When Kai hadn't appeared till morning, and wasn't looking like he'd come back anytime soon, Takao's mood had spiralled further down.

"It's all my fault Kai's gone now" Takao lamented, slamming his fist down, rattling the plates and the glasses nearby. "I really didn't think what I said! I trust him, I truly do… I should have known he would keep contact with the Demolition Boys –they were teamed up when they were young, but… I could only see the present–day Russian team, and that got me angered for nothing… and now, Kai's somewhere in the city, and I don't even know when he's going to be back, if ever!"

Rei sighed deeply, shaking his head as he stood up from his chair. "Rage can make us say things we don't believe" he said, calmly. "I am sure Kai was hurt by your words, but he will soon think about it and realise you were just overdoing it. We just have to wait, so when he'll come back, you two will clear out".

The blue haired blader looked up at the Chinese teen, eyes troubled. "I truly hope that" he muttered, his head falling down on the table with a groan.

"We know you were just angered. We know how you are," Kijouji smiled at him from his own chair. "Kai knows this too. Rei's right, we just have to wait".

'_I truly, truly, truly hope you're right'_ Takao thought.


End file.
